Assembling apparatus for hair curler assembly



April 1968 A. SAUSIK 3,375,566

ASSEMBLING APPARATUS FOR HAIR CURLER ASSEMBLY Filed May 2, 1966 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. ALBERT SAUSI K April 1968 A. SAUSIK 3,375,566

ASSEMBLING APPARATUS FOR HAIR CURLER ASSEMBLY Filed May 1966 5 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR. ALBERT SAUSI K A ril 2, 1968 A. SAUSIK 3,375,566

ASSEMBLING APPARATUS FOR HAIR CURLER ASSEMBLY Filed May 2, 1966 INVENTOR. ALBERT SAUSIK haw w 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Apr. 2., 1968 3,375,566 ASSEMBLING APPARATUS FOR HAIR CURLER ASSEMBLY Albert Sausik, 2 Lakehurst Crescent, Scarborough, Ontario, Canada Filed May 2, 19.66, Ser. No. 546,733 13 Claims. (Cl. 29-208) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A cooperating shank and pin for assembling mesh onto the quasi-cylindrical former of a hair curler. The in holds the former and the shank is inside and shapes the mesh. The shank is provided with a well to receive the former and means are provided for (a) moving the former into the well; (b) retaining the former in the well; and (c) causing the former to move out of the well. Means are provided to propel the mesh off the shank and about the former as the former moves out of the well.

This invention relates to means and a method for placing mesh on the former for supporting and/or shaping such mesh in a hair curler.

It should here be explained that such former is generally, although not necessarily, a helical coil of wire, shaped in a generally cylindrical form to frame mesh which it supports into a generally cylindrical shape, such helical coil of wire being generally resilient but of sufficient strength to support the mesh which is usually of a very Open weave of yarn or filaments, of nylon or other synthetic material. The helical coil of wire defines a central passage extending therethrough. The mesh is, when considered by itself, of soft material usually not selfsustaining, and at least over short periods of time, nonresilient. It should also be noted that after the mesh is inserted on the former, a brush may be inserted inside the mesh to project outwardly therethrough. This is however subsequent to the operations discussed herein, and forms no part of the present invention, although the present invention may be used where, after the steps described, a brush is to be inserted.

It is an object of the invention to provide means for placing the mesh on the former which is automatic but has heretofore always been performed manually.

A similar development is disclosed in my application Ser, No. 498,569, filed Oct. 20, 1965. That development has been found to accomplish the purpose for which it has been designed. However, with some types of mesh, it has been found that better results may be achieved with the improvements discussed herein. In particular the herein disclosed development is believed to give improved results when the mesh is formed of intersecting strands mutually attached at such intersection.

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of apparatus incorporating the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view showing the operation of a part of the apparatus shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURES 3-6 are views showing the operation of the device;

FIGURE 7 shows the form of mesh on which the apparatus operates;

FIGURE 8 is a cross-section taken along the lines 88 of FIGURE 4;

FIGURES 9 and 10 show a view of alternatives to the apparatus as shown in FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 11 is a cross-section along the line 1111 of FIGURE 10.

In FIGURE 1 is shown a frame which may be mounted on the floor or on any desired mount including opposed end plates 10 and a top plate 12.

Mounted on and projecting above said frame is a subframe 14.

A shaft 16 is mounted projecting through and rotatable relative to the end plates 10. The shaft 16 mounts at one end thereof a plurality of (here four) arms 17 radially projecting from the shaft 16 at angular intervals to each other for purposes to behereinafter discussed. The other end of the shaft projects from the opposite end of the frame and has a circumferential shoulder 18 at its free end. A compression spring 19 bears at one end on the frame and at the other end on the circumferential shoulder 18 to bias shaft 16 in the axial direction away from the arms 17. Washers (not shown) are, of course, provided to ensure that the spring 19 does not interfere with shaft rotation or vice versa.

At the end of each of the arms 17 is provided a pin 40 projecting therefrom approximately parallel to the axis of shaft 16 and having a free end 42 at the end of such projecting end.

The former 21 with which the invention is used has a passage therethrough and skeletal members thereabout which act to define the passage but whose main purpose is to support the mesh in the desirable and well known form for a hair curler. In the embodiment shown, the former 21 is a helix of copper wire, adapted to hold the mesh in the form of a cylinder. However, the cylindrical shape need not be exact and the skeletal material of the former may be of any suitable material, including plastic while the geometry of the former, for use with the invention, is only required to define (l) the desired basic shape of the mesh and (2) a passage therethrough for.

insertion of a pin, with the passage bein throughout, inside the intended tubular locus defined by the former,

The pin 40 is of a size to be slidably inserted in the passage of a cylindrical former 21 for the mesh, which former must be of a shape to maintain the mesh in an approximately cylindrical form and which usually (but not necessarily) as shown, is in the form of a helical spring 21 defining a central passage along the axes into which the pin 40 may be slidably received, with the helical spring 21 acting as a rib structure adapted to support the mesh.

As shown in the drawing, shoulders 60 are located adjacent the root of each pin 40, to act as a stop for the former 21 on movement thereof toward the root of pin 40. In FIGURE 1, the arms 17 are shown and will be intermittently rotated through 90 movements as hereinafter described, in a clockwise direction as viewed from the left in FIGURE 1. Thus the arms, in such intermittent movement, are designed to successively assume a top position and positions 90 spaced therefrom. It is assumed that a spring is placed on a pin 40 90 before the pin 40 reaches top position, is supplied with mesh in top position, and is removed "from the arms 17 at the position 90 past top position. The means for applying the springs on formers 21 to the pin 40 are not shown. These means may be manual, but will usually be automatic, and if automatic will be synchronized with the performance of the mesh adding function, but in any event may take any one of a number of well known forms. Similarly means not shown, but well known to those skilled in the art, will be provided for withdrawing the formers from the pin 40 at 90 past top position and for tucking in the mesh at each end of the former. 7

Means, as best shown in FIGURES 3-7 are shown for retaining the helical spring or former 21 in position on the pin 40 and such means comprises a bell-crank arm 44 pivotally mounted as shown at 46 on a bracket 48 mounted on the arm 17 adjacent but radially inward of the pin 40. The bell-crank 44 is provided with a straight extent 50 displaced from pivot 46 outward toward the pin 40 to normally assume an orientation parallel to the former 21 to bear frictionally thereon under the resilient bias of a leaf spring 52 attached to the other arm of the bell-crank 4-4 and adapted to bear on the body of arm 17. The free end, radially outward of the flat portion 50, (relative to pivot point 46) is turned radially inward (relative to arm 17) to provide a sloping surface to guide a former 21 into position onto the pin, when straight extent 50 is deflected out of position against the bias of spring 52. The bell-crank 44 is extended approximately parallel to the arm 17 to provide an extent 54 on the opposite side of pivot 46 from the flat portion 50 the extent 54 being normally spaced from the arm 17 to allow deflection of the arm 44 and exfent 50 away from the former 21 when the flat portion 54 is contacted by a stop 56 mounted as shown on frame 14. As will be later seen from the description of the operation of the device, the purpose of this deflection of extent-50 away from pin 40, which occurs in the top position of the arm 17, is to free the spring for movement, relative to the pin, in the direction outward and later inward relative to the pin free end.

Means are provided to control the movement of the former 21 longitudinally along the pin which will now be described. As will hereinafter be explained in more detail, the sequence of operation will be understood to be such, that movement of former 21 relative to pin 40, takes place when flat portion 50 is clear of former 21. Mounted on frame '14 is an arm 90 by means of rotatable shaft 96. The lever 90 is provided with a brush 92. The lever is designed to be of a length that, with appropriate design of the brush, that in an arc of travel of the lever in one direction, the former 21 will be contacted by the brush 92 and moved outwardly relative to the pin, and that in approximately the same are of travel of the lever in the other direction, the former 21 will be moved inwardly of the pin. The arc of movement of the lever 90 is designed so that it swings clear of the former 21 at each end of its travel, between movements of the spring by the brush in opposite directions. An arm 94 projects from lever arm in a direction to bear on the end of former 21 nearer arms 17 when the brush 92 has moved the former 21 away from arms 17.

The movement of the arm 90 may be controlled in any number of well known ways and the control method described below, although considered the best, ma be considered as one of many. On the end of shaft 96 remote from arm 90 is a sprocket wheel 98 cooperating with a chain 100. The chain at one end is biased for movement toward that end by a spring 102. The end selected is such that the bias of the spring acts to move the arm 90 in a direction to move former 21 to the right. The other end of chain 100 extends over an idler sprocket 104 mounted on the frame to attach to one arm of a lever 6 pivotally mounted on the frame by shaft 108. The other arm of lever 106 is provided with a roller 110 arranged to roll on a cam 112 mounted on a shaft to be hereinafter discussed and rotated in synchronism with other elements herein by means not shown. The lever 106 is arranged so that roller 110 is always biased by spring 102 acting through chain 100 against the cam surface 112 mounted on shaft 20. The cam 112 is pro vided with a raised or larger extent 114 and a lowered or smaller extent 116. Transition curves 118 (inward) and 120 (outward) in the design direction of rotation, as shown, join the larger and smaller extents. It will be seen that the slope of the outward transition curve 120 will determine the speed at which brush 92 moves spring 21 toward arms 17 and the slope of the inward transition curve 118 will determine the speed at which brush 92 moves former 21 away from arms 17. Thus it will 'be seen that by proper shaping of the transition surfaces 118 and 120 and by controlled rotation of the shaft 20, the speed of movement of the former 21 in either direction along the pin may be controlled in any desired manner. A limit switch 71 is provided to be actuated by arm 4 l 90 at the extreme end of its travel after propelling former 21 to the right as shown in FIGURE 1.

There is provided a cylindrical shank 62, having free ends 75 and 73 which is maintained,-by means to be described, in position with free end 75 aligned with the free end 42 of pin 40, by two pairs of rollers 64 and 66, 68 and 70 each pair having a roller located above and a roller below the shank 62 and adapted to exert frictional pressure thereon and adapted to prevent move ment of the shank in a direction transverse to the axis thereof. In the preferred embodiment, a pair of rollers 64 and 66 nearer the pin 40 provide means for preventing transverse movement simply by the provision of side flanges on both rollers, with a groove 67 (forming a portion of a circle in a plane containing the roller axis) between the said flanges 65, shaped to receive the preferably cylindrical cross-sectional contour of the shank 62. A similar roller construction to that described, is shown in FIGURE 11, although FIGURE 11 in fact shows an alternative form for the rearward rollers. The rollers 68 and are, in this form of the invention, preferably provided with rolling surfaces 76 cylindrical about the axis of the roller as shown in FIGURES 1 and 5. In the preferred embodiment, as shown in FIGURES 1,

2 and 3; the shank 62 is, adjacent the pair of rollers 68 r and 70, provided with a pair of depressions 72 and 74. The depression 72 is parallel to the axis of roller 68, is preferably the surface of a cylinder, and in its normal operating position is nearly but not quite concentric with the axis of roller 68, and the purpose of the shape of depression 72 is to give a line of contact transverse to the axis of the shank 62 for good functional contact of the roller 68. The roller 68 is, inoperation (as hereinafter described), located to achieve said line of contact along a part of the surface of depression 72 on the forward side of the centre thereof. The terms forward and rearward are used herein in relation to the direction of movement of the mesh, which will be found to be from the shank 62 onto the pin 40. Thus forward means in the direction from shank 62 to pin 40 and rearward, in the opposite direction. Thus it will be seen that, under normal operation, frictional contact of the surface of roller 68 and the rearward part of depression 72 do not exist, on the side of surface 72 remote from the pin 40. r

70 as depression 72 bears to roller 68; and hence is con-,

tacted by the roller 70 on the forward portion of the surface 74. One of the rollers 68 and 70, preferably roller 68 is provided with side flanges 69, as best illustrated in 1 FIGURE 8 to maintain the shank 62 against movement transverse to the longitudinal axis of the shank..

The shank 62 is preferably of cylindrical shape, defining a longitudinal axis in the direction of its long dimension having depressions 72 and 74, described, for cooperation with the rear rollers and having near free end 73, a portion flared outwardly toward free end of larger diameter than the largest diameter of the former 21, when viewed in the mesh travel direction, to guide the mesh passing over the shank onto the former.

The shank 62 is provided at its free end 75 withan annular well 122 extending into .the shank from the free end and of a depth to receive most but not all of the former with a forward portion thereof projecting thereout. The inner surface of the annular well 122 is defined by a central member 124 oftsubstantially the same crosssection as pin 40 extending in the forward direction to a free end 126 located inward of free end 75 which is designed for abutting contact withthe free end 42 of pin 40. For ease in achieving this abutting contact'and the alignment of pin 40 with central member 124, the free end 42 of the pin is preferably slightly rounded or tapered, and the free end 126 of the central member is provided with a complementarily shaped recess'to relatively guide the pin 40- and central member 124, when abutting into alignment. The pin 40 and central member 124 are arranged so that when in abutment the former 21 may move partially off pin 40 and partially onto central member 124 and into well 122.

The outer surface of shank 62 is shaped and preferably rounded to allow mesh from a supply thereof (not shown) to be easily supplied thereonto and to pass thereover.

Although the rollers 64 and 66 on the one hand and 68 and 70 on the other, will in accord with the operation to be described, turn in the direction to tend to move the shank 62 toward the pin 40, this does not in fact occur since the pin 40 (other means not interfering with the tubular mesh path can be used) moves relatively to the root of the recess in central member 124 to act as a stop during rotation of the rollers. Thus the pin 40 on the top position arm 17 acts as a stop to maintain the shank in the position shown in FIGURE 3, with the rollers 68 and 70 contacting the forward portion of the recesses 72 and 74, during rotation of the rollers. Thus, during rotation of the two pairs of opposed rollers 64 and 66, 68 and 70, the mesh will progress under the pressure of the rollers over the shank which is retained against movement in the forward direction by the stop means and it will be understood that the bearing pressure by the rollers on shank 62 is not of course sufiicient to act as a serious brake on roller rotation. The rollers are preferably adjusted to the desired spacing and have either resilient construction or resilient biasing to achieve the desired frictional pressure on the mesh.

Depression of limit switch 71 causes by conventional means (not shown) rollers 64, 66, 68 and 70 (to be described hereafter) to start rotating. The circuit for operating the rollers will be of the type whereby, once connected by microswitch 71, it will operate the rollers for a predetermined length of time, even though the microswitch is released before the expiry of such time, but which circuit cannot be reoperated by the microswitch 71 to again initiate roller movement, until the switch has been released and reoperated. The time interval for which rollers 64, 66, 68 and 70 are operated will be suflicient for mesh sufficient to cover a former 21 and tucked in at each end to be moved thereover.

It should be noted that the mesh may be of any extremely wide weave of soft construction, seldom by itself, in any degree, self-sustaining and requiring for use, support by the coil.

However, with one particular type of mesh, the apparatus disclosed herein is believed to give better results than the apparatus discussed in my copending application Ser. No. 498,569. This is the type of mesh, where intersecting strands are not movable, relative to one another at their intersection. Such mesh may be integrally formed but usually is formed with plastic strands forming equally spaced helices running in opposite senses to form between them cylindrically curved diamonds, as shown in the drawing. The plastic strands are permanently joined at their intersections by a combination of heat and pressure. It is sometimes desirable with mesh strands which are not attached at such strand intersections that the rearward part of rollers 68 and 70 be spaced and supported to exert a greater frictional efiect on the mesh, than the forward rollers 64,. and 66. In the preferred embodiment, this is achieved by adjusting the rollers 68 and 70 to have a greater bearing pressure on the mesh and the underlying shank than the forward rollers and by the use of the line contact of the rear roller with the surfaces of depressions 72 and 74 whereas the rollers 68 and 70 are driven at the same speed as the rollers 66 and 64, to avoid wrinkling of the mesh on the shank 62.

It may also be desirable at this time to discuss alternatives to the illustrated shank construction and these are shown in FIGURES 8 and 9 respectively.

Returning for the moment to FIGURE 2, it will be noted that since the rollers 63 and 70 do not operate concentrically with the grooves 72 and 74, there is no critical limitation on the shape of the trailing portion of depression 72 and 74 and thus these depressions may, without affecting the operation, be extended rearwardly to form a parallel flat sided surface of intermediate length (relative to the rearward extent of the shank) as indicated in solid lines in FIGURE 9, or may be extended rearwardly at the rear end of the shank as also shown in FIGURE 9. By such extensions, the possibility of binding of rollers 68 and 70 on the outwardly curving rearward portion of the depressions, will be avoided.

It is considered within the scope of the invention, but a disadvantageous mode of operation in most circumstances, to have the rollers 68 and 70 bearing, on but concentric with, cylindrical depressions 72 and 74 (i.e. of the shape shown in FIGURE 2). It should be noted however, that if such arrangement (thought to be less advantageous than others) is used then the use of the pin 40 or other stop means may be replaced by the fact that the rearward surfaces 72 and 74 of the depressions will act as stops to restrict movement of the shank, it being realized that when movement of the shank is restricted by such stops the rotation of the rollers causes the mesh to move forwardly onto the former. The reason the last described arrangement is considered less advantageous than others, is that contact between the rollers and the rearward diverging portionsof depressions 72 and 74 tends in some instances, to cause a binding on the mesh and consequent braking of the rollers.

In the alternative of FIGURE 9 as stated, the fiat portion of the depressions 72 and 74 is extended rearwardly for a certain distance, or right off the rearward end of the shank, and in either event there must be provided a stop independent of the rollers and shank to prevent forward movement of the shank when the rollers rotate. Such stop is preferably the pin free end 42 contacting the shank, but could be an equivalent stop for location inside and clear of the path of the mesh.

In the alternative, shown in FIGURE 10, a stop for the shank is also required, since the shank in the extent contacted by the two pairs of rollers is provided with a uniformly shaped circular cross-section in a longitudinal direction. Thus as shown in FIGURE 11, the rearward roll-' ers 68A and7tlA, as well as the forward rollers, are shaped to conform to the shape of the shank, and thus to restrain it against transverse displacement while bearing on the mesh and shank to impel the mesh toward the former when the shank 62 is retained against movement by the pin 40. It has been found that this arrangement is quite satisfactory over shorter and medium length runs. However, it is found, over some extended runs, that due to the difference of diameter between the edges and the centre of the mesh contacting portion of the rollers 68A and 70A, the mesh is moved slightly farther forwardly with each rotation of the rollers at the portion contacted by the larger diameters than it is at the root of the groove. This may be found to cause wrinkling of the mesh between the rollers which could ultimately cause travel of the wrinkles under the rollers 64 and 66 and interference with the smooth operation of the device. It is noted that while three alternatives for the construction of the rear rollers in the shank have been discussed, that in each case it has been suggested that the front rollers may be of a construction similar to that shown in FIGURE 11. The same difficulty, with the differing diameters of the portions of the rollers which contact the mesh, is not encountered with the forward rollers since these, in preferred arrangements, exert less pressure on the mesh than the rearward rollers, consequently mesh supplied to them, tends to travel thereunder without regard for the slight ditference in relative speed between the mesh at the root and edges of the roller grooves.

It will be realized that it is within the scope of the invention, to replace the flanges on the rollers by stationary guide means on each side of the shank adapted to allow sliding movement of the mesh between the shank and the 7 guide means but to prevent transverse movement of the shank.

Transverse movement of the shank may, at the location of the forward or of the rearward pairs of rollers, be prevented by replacing a pair of opposed rollers with three rollers mounted to have their rolling surfaces bearing on the shank at spaced locations.

The means for operating the arms 17 and pins 40 will now be described.

Adjacent and parallel shaft 16 and rotatably mounted in end plates is drive shaft 20 which is rotatably driven from a power source not shown. It will be noted that cam 112 cooperating with roller 1-10 is mounted on shaft 20. Shaft 16 is mounted to be not only rotatably but also slidably mounted in end plate 10.

Swingably mounted on the forward side of end plate 10 is a lever or bell-crank 22 connected to establish the relative axial location of shafts 16 and 20. Lever 22 is pivoted at 24 about an axis perpendicular to shaft 16 and has at one end a pin 26 arranged to ride in a circumferential groove 23 on shaft 16. It will be noted that because of this arrangement the deflection of lever 22 will displace shaft 16 axially, and the orientation of lever 22 will control the position of that shaft in an axial sense. The end of lever 22 on the opposite side of pivot point 24 from pin 26 is provided with a roller 28 pivoted on an axis roughly perpendicular to shaft 16 and indeed toshaft 20. The roller 28 is arranged to roll on the operative surface of a cam 30 which extends about shaft 20 with its operative surface facing rearwardly.

The operative surface of the cam 30 is (about the major portion of its circumference) relatively displaced in a forward direction, as at 31, allowing shaft 16 to be displaced in the rearward direction by spring 19, while the cam over a smaller are 33 of the circumference is displaced in the rearward direction to consequently displace the roller 28 (when in contact therewith) and lever 22 to axially move shaft 16 in the forward direction.

The cam 30 is so oriented on shaft 20 relative to cam 112 and dimensioned, that movement of pin toward shank 62 takes place before brush 92 moves spring 21 into well 122 and movement of pin 40 away from shank 62 takes place after brush 92 moves former 21 out of well 122.

Also mounted on shaft 16 is a plate 32 having four radially outwardly opening slots 34 at the plate edge displaced 90 from one another. Between each angularly adjacent pair of said slots the radially outward edge of the plate 32 is shaped to be, when the line joining the shaft 16 and 20 is half way between slots 34, concentric with shaft 20.

The shaft 20 is provided with a cam surface having over the major proportion of its circumference a cylindrical shape 36 shaped to rotate slidably in any one of the four concavities between the slots 34 in plate 32 and thus during this portion of rotation of shaft 20 prevents rotation of the shaft 16. Such surface 36 is however inter rupted over part of the circumference of the cam by a surface 37 which is concave outward and is shaped to allow rotation of the slot defining portions of plate 32 past the cam 36. An arm extends radially outwardly from shaft 20 carrying near its outer end a pin 38 oriented and shaped to move slidably into and out of slots 34, under conditions of mutual and opposite rotation of the two shafts, and the pin 38 is located angularly about shaft 20 at approximately the centre of the concave radially outward surface 37 and is arranged and of a length to ride in a slot 34 when the shaft 16 is displaced in the forward direction by lever 22.

In rotation of shaft 20 therefore, during the rotation of the pin 38 clear of any slot 34, the shaft 16 is not driven and in fact is held in a given angular location by the convex outward surface 36 riding in a concave outward portion of plate 32. When the pin 38 has rotated to the proper angular location, it enters the slot 34 angularly adjacent in the direction opposite to the direction of rotation of shaft 16, to the one last vacated by the pin 38 in the direction opposite to the direction of rotation.

Just before the pin 38 enters the last mentioned slot 34,

the leading portion of the concavity in cam 36 in the direction of rotation, has passed the line joining shafts 16 and 20 the members carrying the defining edges of the last mentioned slot 34, whereby when the pin 38 enters,

the slot 34 it now rotates the plate 32 and with it the shaft 16, until the slot 34 has reached the location where the pin 38 in its normal rotation moves out of the slot leaving the shaft 16 stationary where it will remain by virtue of the convex surface 36 resting in the concavity of plate 32. The location of slots 34 is such that the shank 62 and that a new 90 rotation of shaft 16 com- 1 mences soon after pin 40 has moved away from shank 62 with an interval for severing the mesh as hereinafter described.

It will be noted that the dimensions of concavity 37 must be such that no part of the convexity 36 contacts the concavity between slots 34 rearward (in the rotation direction of shaft 16) of the line joining shafts 16 and 20, from the time, in the rotation of shaft 20, from just before the entry of pin 38 into a slot 34, until just after the exit of the pin 38 from the same slot. This is so that the shaft 16 will be free to rotate at times when the pin.

is in the slot. Due to the operation of the cam surfaces 33 and 31 on the axial displacement of shaft 16, the arms 17 are displaced in the forward direction, during the period of their rotary motion with shaft 16, and are moved this way just enough before such rotary motion commences to allow severence and displaced in the rearward direction just after such motion has ceased. For the remainder of the rotation of the pin 38 and shaft 20, the arms 17 are in their rearward displaced location.

Means are also provided, for severing the mesh placed by the mechanism about aformer, from the mesh remaining on the shank 62, and this is achieved by a heatable wire 78 held on a sub-frame 80 which is slidable transversely of the mesh direction, on rods 82 which 80 are biased as by spring 81. in the direction of move-.

ment of the wire 78 between the pin end 42 and the shank free end 75 in their spaced positions, and the. wire 78 is located to pass through such space. On shaft 20, adjacent arm 84, and preferably adjacent cam 112, is mounted a cam having a radially outward surface 88. at one part of the circumference and a radially inward surface at the other part.

This cam is arranged so that when a pin 40 is in abutting contact with the shank 62,the hot wire 78 .is maintained by the radially outward cam surface 88 spaced from the line joining pin 40 and shank 62. However when, subsequent to this, the pin end 42 moves,

away from the shank end 75 to leave a spacetherebetween, radially inward portion 91. of the cam is so oriented as to then move under roller 86 allowing the hot wire 78 to move under the impulsion of the spring 81, to contact and sever the mesh extending between the pin end 42 and the shank end 75. Thereafter in the rotation of shaft 20, the radially outward portion 88 again moves under roller 86 moving hot wire 78, clear of the locus of movement between the pin and shank free ends. The hot wire 78, is heated by electrical current from a source, not shown, in a manner well knownto those skilled in the art. The hot wire 78 is used, since the construction of the mesh, will usually be of synthetic material, easily cut in this manner, without any undue deflection or stress on adjacent portions of the mesh. It will be obvious that with another type of mesh, another type of severing means may be used. As previously explained, pin 38 is arranged to commence the rotation of shaft 16 through 90 after hot wire 78 moves in its return journey clear of the locus of movement between the pin and the shank free ends.

In operation, it will be assumed that, initially the parts are in the positions shown in FIGURE 1 and it will be understood from the position of convexity 36 that at this time the drive shaft is rotating while shaft 16 is stationary. A former 21 is being placed on a pin 40 on the arm 17, 90 before to the top position, and a spring 21 with mesh thereon is being withdrawn from the pin 40 on arm 17, 90 past the top position. In the top arm 17 position a former 21 is held by the extent 50 on the pin 40 and is out of contact with brush 92 which is not moving at this time. It is immaterial, as soon explained, whether at this instant the spring is up against shoulder 60. Mesh surrounds the outer surface of shank 62 to the free end of the latter and therefore lies between the rollers 64, 66, 68, 70 and such shank.

Since the pin 40, with the former 21 thereon, has reached the top position, ready for application of the mesh and due to the extent of cam 36, riding in the concave outward portion of plate 32, pin end 42 is held in position aligned with the recess in central member 124 of the shank, the roller 28 on lever 22 has, in the rotation of shaft 20, almost reached the end of its travel on the rearward portion 33 of cam 30, and pin 38 has just moved out of a slot 34 wherein it moved the shaft 16 to the position shown. As rotation of the shaft 20 continues, the forward portion 31 of cam is contacted by the roller on lever 22; under the impulsion of the spring 19, the shaft 16 is moved rearwardly so that the free end of pin 40 comes to rest in the complementary recess in the free end of central member 124 and shank 62. As this occurs, the extent 54 of bell-crank 44 meets the stop 56 and is deflected to move the extent away from the former 21 ready to allow the travel of the mesh between the former 21 and the extent 50.

The cam 112 which in the rotation of shaft 20 has up to now, been carrying the roller 110 on raised portion 114, now moves the inward transition curve 118 under roller 110, whereby under the impulsion of spring 102 brush 92 moves former 21 into well 122. The brush travel and the well depth are designed so that, with brush 92 moving clear of former 21 in its arc of rearward movement, the former is not, to any substantial degree, compressed in the well 122. This avoids the tendency for the former to bind in the well. As the arm 90 with brush 92 completes its travel, it actuates micro-switch 71.

On operation of the micro-switch 71 such circuitry (not shown) for causing rotation of the rollers 64, 66, 68 and 70 is connected, to cause operation of such rollers and as a result, the rollers 64, 66, 68 and 70 rotate in the direction tending to move the mesh and with it shank 62 forwardly. However, shank 62 will only move forward until the surface of the recess in end 124 strikes the free end of pin end 42, which is a stop for means for correctly axially locating the shank. As soon as this happens, all forward motion of the shank is stopped and the rotation of the rollers 64, 66, 68 and 70 begins to move the mesh onto the spring 21.

When the mesh has commenced forward travel and the leading edge is commencing travel over the projecting end of the former, a sufiicient amount to be tucked in thereafter, the roller 110 has had time to move on the outward transitional curve 120 of cam 112. The brush 90 therefore has begun its forward travel and released micro-switch 71 for a subsequent operation (which as previously explained does not halt the operation of rollers 64, 66, 68, 70) and contacts the projecting end of former 21 just after mesh has started to move thereover. The

brush 92 causes the former and the mesh to move forwardly farther onto pin 40 while mesh is still being supplied over the free end of shank 62. The former and mesh move at a uniform rate due to the design of outward transitional curve 120 for this purpose and the design uniform rotation of shaft 20. When the brush has moved the former 21 against shoulder 60, it swings clear of the former 21. The rollers 64, 66, 68 and 70 are shortly thereafter halted in accord with their design operating cycle to stop the supply of mesh.

While it would be possible to have the mesh operate a limit switch when suflicient mesh has been supplied, and this is considered within the scope of the invention) it has been found preferable to have the rollers 64, 66, 68 and 70 which should operate for a simultaneous time controlled by any conventional timing means to operate for a predetermined length of time, which is calculated and adjusted so that the required amount of mesh is supplied.

As an alternative to the micro-switch and electric circuit method of operating the rollers 64, 66, 68 and 70, it will be obvious that cams and linkages could also be used in manners also well known to those skilled in the art. It should perhaps also be noted, that the mesh and spring after the completion of the operations described, and after removal from the pins at the 90 advanced position, is merely going to have the free ends of the mesh tucked into the holes in each end of the former, and thus the overlapping ends of the meshes, while required, do not have a critical length.

The rotation of the pin 38 and of the cam 30, is adjusted in relation to the period of operation of the rollers 64, 66, 68 and 78 so that soon after the brush has completed its forward travel as controlled by outward transitional curve and the rollers have ceased to operate, the roller of lever 22 contacts the rearward portion of the cam 30, to deflect the lever 22 and shaft 16 against the pressure of spring 19 and to move arms 17 and the pin in the top position, with the mesh now thereon, into a spaced position in relation to the free end of shank 62. At the same time extent 50 is moved by spring 52 against the mesh and spring to hold them on the pin 40. It will also be noted that in such retractive movement of the top pin 40, there may be a slight retraction of mesh supplied to the spring 21 on such top pin. This is not considered critical, but if the amount retracted, were to tend to cause a problem, it may be counteracted by the supply of a slightly extra amount of mesh over the spring during the mesh supply operation.

Thus with the rollers topped and the pin free end 42 now spaced from the free end 75 of shank 62, the rotation of the orientation of cam surfaces 88 and 90 is adjusted, so that the roller 86 moves off the cam surface 88 onto the cam surface 90 to release arm 84 for movement under the impulsion of spring 92 to cause the hot wire 78 to contact and sever the mesh between the pin 40 and the shank 62. As soon as the hot wire has achieved this the roller 86 passes off extent 90 and onto the raised portion 88 of the shank again to retract the hot wire 78 from between the pin and the shank. Immediately thereafter under a continued rotation of shaft 20, the leading portion concave outward portion of 37 passes the members forming the defining edges of the slot 34 (which is 90 rearward relative to the rotation of shaft 16 relative to that shown in near contact with the pin in FIGURE 1); passes the line joining shafts 20 and 16 and the pin 38 then moves into the corresponding slot 34. The pin 38 then acts to rotate the shaft 16 riding in slot 34, and hence the shaft 16 is rotated through 90 while pin 38 is moving in the slot 34 and with the defining members for the slot moving in the concavity 37 of the cam. During this rotation, the raised surface 33 of the cam 30 on the lever acts to maintain the pin 40 spaced from the shank 62. When, under this operation, the pin 38 has moved the shaft 16 through 90, it moves out of the slot 34 while into the concavity between slot 34 and the slot 34 next rearward in the rotation direction of shaft 20 moves the concave outward surface 36, holding shaft 16 stationary while at this time, a new former has been located opposite shank 62 the mesh and former in the 90 advanced position of an arm 17 is removed while a spring 21 is added to pin 42 in the position 90 before top position. The mechanism has now moved one cycle, again to the position of FIGURE 1 and the cycle described will be repeated as basically controlled by the continued rotation of shaft 20.

It is within the scope of this invention to provide that instead of a pin mounting member such as an arm 17 moving toward and away from the shank with the pins and shoulders, to provide a mechanism where the pin holder does not move relative to the shank but the pins and shoulders do.

I claim:

1. Assembling apparatus for placing mesh about a hair curler former, comprising:

a shank defining a longitudinal direction and having;

an annular well extending into said shank from a first free end, shaped and dimensioned to receive an extent less than the full length of such former there retractable means adapted to bear on the end of the former projecting from said well when said former is received in said well;

a central member defining the inner boundary of said annular well, having a free end adjacent said first free end;

and an outer surface contoured to allow such mesh to slide longitudinally thereover from a second free end to said first free end;

and having side surfaces shaped to direct mesh passing off said first free end about a former projecting from said well;

and means for supporting said shank;

and means bearing on mesh surrounding said outer surface actuable to tend to move it toward said first free end.

2. Assembling apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in combination with means for inserting such former in such well.

3. Assembling apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in combination with:

means for maintaining said actuable means non-actuated while said former is inserted in said well;

means for inserting said former in said well;

means for actuating said actuable means to move said mesh off the free end of said shank over said former when the latter is in said well; and

means for moving said former out of said well as said mesh moves off said free end.

4. Assembling apparatus as claimed in claim 3 including;

means for severing said mesh when said former is clear of the free end of said shank.

5. Assembling apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in combination with a pin having a free end adapted to hold a former thereon;

means for moving said pin into a location with said free end adjacent and facing said first free end;

means operable when said pin was in said location to move said former into said well;

means operable on the insertion of said former into said well to actuate said actuable means;

means to move said former out of said well as said mesh moves over said free end.

6. Assembling apparatus as claimed in claim 5 including;

means for stopping movement of said former into said well with one end thereof projecting from said free end.

7. Assembling apparatus as claimed in claim 6 Wherein said supporting means comprises at least two rollers with rolling surfaces adapted to bear on said shank through said mesh.

8. Assemblying apparatus as claimed in claim 5 wherein said movement actuating means comprise two pairs of opposed rollers, said shank being located between the rolling surfaces of opposed rollers.

9. Assembling apparatus as claimed in claim 8 wherein at least one roller of one of said pairs is provided with side flanges spaced to slide on each side of said shank.

10. Assembling apparatus for the application of tubular mesh to the former of a hair curler, wherein said former has a passage therethrough, comprising:

means for supporting said former including a pin adapted to extend into said passage from one end of said former, to termmate in a free end;

a shank extending between a first and a second free end;

said shank being so shaped that during such abutting contact, tubular mesh may slide over the side sur-.

faces of said shank thereabout from said second to said first free end;

whereby said mesh moving from about said shank to about said former, defines a tubular path;

a well extending into said shank from said first free end shaped to receive an extent of such former;

retractable means adapted to bear on the end of the former projecting from said well when said former is received in said well;

said shank being shaped so that during such abutting contact, such extent less than the full length of said former may be moved into said well;

means adapted to bear on said side surfaces through such mesh;

means designed to support said shank through said mesh with said first free end in proximity to and in end to end alignment with said pin free end;

means for moving such extent of such former into said well;

means for causing said bearing means to exert force on said mesh and side surfaces tending to move said mesh and shank approximately in said sliding direction toward said pin and former;

means located inwardly of said tubular path for stopping movement of said shank toward said pin at said predetermined proximity.

11. Assembling apparatus as claimed in claim 10 including means for moving said former out of said well when said mesh is moving off said first free end.

12. Assembling apparatus as claimed in claim 11. wherein said means bearing on said side surfaces comprises at least two rollers with rolling surfaces adapted to bear on said shank through said mesh.

13. Assembling apparatus as claimed in claim 10 wherein said means bearing on said side surfaces and the means for supporting said shank comprises two pairs of said opposed rollers with said shank being located between the rolling surfaces of said opposed rollers, and means for intermittently rotating said rollers to exert said force, and wherein there are provided;

flanges on at least one of each pair of opposed rollers shaped to maintain said shank against movement in either direction parallel to such roller axes.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,683,924 7/1954 Schryver 29-208 X 2,876,534 3/1959 Savana 29--433 3,123,906 3/1964 Frink 29-241 X THOMAS H. EAGER, Primal Examiner. 

